Thursday, September 24, 2009

After more than two years of long plane rides, official meetings and some great Chinese food, I am proud to announce The Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo. The event takes place December 3rd - 5th 2009.

September 25, 2009 (Burbank, CA) On December 3-5, 2009 in China’s glamorous Macao, filmmakers, broadcasters, experts and technology companies will gather for the country’s first ever content creator-entertainment technology centered event. China has recently begun to broadcast in high definition and as Chinese broadcasters and content creators acclimate to the change, there is great interest and opportunity in entertainment technology and its effect on every stage of the process, from creative through final delivery. The Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo will interweave the leading entertainment companies and broadcasters in China with global leaders in technology, manufacturers and world-class content creators.

The Expo launches with the full support of the Macao government and many renowned Chinese filmmakers and leaders. The Expo will include an exhibition area featuring top technology companies and manufacturers, a conference program of panels and speakers who will address creative topics as well as the implications of emerging technologies on storytelling, social events and networking, and a digital cinema film festival. In addition to evening events and sponsored lunches, a closing night gala is planned. Exhibitors, panels, and films will be announced soon and a full schedule will be on-line later this month.

The team behind the event includes Createasphere, Randall Dark Productions and Burma Road Productions; a highly qualified group that brings a deep understanding of the implications of emerging technologies on creative industries. Createasphere (HD EXPO) has presented top notch technology and creative events in the US since 2001; Randall Dark is a bona fide high definition pioneer who took this early knowledge into a successful career as a producer & director; and Burma Road is headed by writer-producer Jeff Greene, whose credits include the Chinese documentary "Chennault & the Flying Tigers," one of the most watched documentaries ever made in China, with 400 million views to date, Greene has been producing in China for over 15 years and has offices in Kunming, Macao and Los Angeles. Most recently, Greene has developed a major motion picture for a Hollywood studio that is slated to begin production in China in 2010. Key leaders in the Chinese entertainment and broadcast industries have been invited and are expected to attend the event.

Randall Dark noted that, “What drove high definition to the U.S. consumer was the evolution of quality content created using the emerging technology. We have had over twenty years to discover and cultivate the relationship between the artist and the technologist. This annual event is specifically designed to expand the relationship globally. High definition in China is the next frontier.”

Kristin Petrovich, President of HD EXPO - Createasphere, noted, “For those of us who work in the community of content creators and entertainment technologists, China’s massive and rapidly growing economy simply cannot be ignored. There is so much going on there that we need to experience and, conversely, our decade plus experience in high definition and cutting edge technologies like 3D could be very beneficial to the Chinese at this critical moment. Whether you are in China, Calcutta, or Burbank, the global content creators and technological experts need to share information. We believe that this is a powerful opportunity for that kind of community building, set in a magnificent place with key partners.”

For further information about The Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo, visit www.createasphere.com/china or call 818.842.6611.

About The Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival & Entertainment Technology ExpoPremiering December 3-5, 2009, The Macao, China International Digital Cinema Festival & Entertainment Technology Expo is the first exposition and festival of its kind to be presented in Macao, China. The three-day event brings together a global gathering of the entertainment content and technology communities to share ideas, explore technologies and foster thought leadership through collaboration at the dawn of high definition broadcasting in China. The Macao International Digital Cinema Festival & Entertainment Technology Expo is a collaborative presentation of US- based Burma Road Productions, Randall Dark Productions (www.randalldark.net) and Createasphere (www.createasphere.net).

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Randall P. Dark will speaking in two different seminars at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, September 28 - October 2. The seminar topics are WEB.TV and Independent Thinking: Alternative Distribution Models.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

SEMINAR: WEB.TV

The web offers more than a distribution method: a new genre has emerged. Adopting storytelling traditions to this global—always on—interactive network has huge power to influence attitudes and behavior. A look at streamed networks with case studies of collaborations that work. There are exciting opportunities for even the smallest institutions and independents, with practical advice on business models to back it up.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

SEMINAR: Independent Thinking: Alternative Distribution ModelsDo you need the big guys, after all? Examining the road less traveled to success in four-wall, independent and streamed distribution, a nontraditional approach of self-distribution might be in your best economic interest.